Briquet-machine.



PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904. J. J. CRAWFORD.

. BRIQUET MACHINE.

. APPLICATION I'ILBD 001213, 1903. N0 MODEL.

3 SHEETS-SHEBTL ZUZfiEssesQ No; 767,544. PATENTED AUG. 16, 1904,

J. J. CRAWFORD. BRIQUBT MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 13, 1903. N0 MODEL.

I Q4 1'' i I l 'l 5 No. 767,544. PATENTED AUG, 16, 1904. J. J. CRAWFORD. BRIQUET MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED 0GT.13, 1903. N0 MODEL.

l I! llllh lf HIIHIIIH IIIIIIIIIDIIIIIIIIH IIIIIIIIII I i "manur- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

l UNITED STATES Patented August 16, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES J. CRAWFORD, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF TVVO- THIRDS TO JEFFERSON D. CRAWFORD, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, AND JAMES HASTINGS, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

BRIQUET-IVIACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 767,544, dated August 16, 1904.

' Application filed October 13, 1903. Serial No. 176,828. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES J. CRAWFORD, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, Alameda county, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Briquet-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The present invention relates to an improved machine for the forming of briquets for fuel purposes, the object of the invention beingto simplify the construction of the machinery usually employed for such purpose, to increase the output or capacity over such machines, and to provide for uniformity in the manufacture of the briquets.

The invention comprises an endless carrier onto which the material to be compressed is delivered, means for evenly distributing the material between the series of molds employed,pressure-actuated mechanism for compressing the briquets within the molds and expelling the compressed briquets therefrom, with means for imparting a step rotation to the'molds during the upward movement of the compressing means in order to turn the filled openings of the molds from beneath the fillingchambers for the material to be compressed.

In order to fully comprehend the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying sheets of drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side view in elevation of the machine, the feed-hopper for the material being partly sectioned and the gear for actuating the cam to raise the barrier-bar being partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the mechanism disclosed by Fig. l of the drawings, the presser-bar being partly broken away, so as toillustrate one of the guides for directing the material to be pressed into a briquet to one of the molds, the guideplate also being broken away to illustrate clearly one of the molds. Fig. 3 is a front View in elevation, partly broken away, of the machine, said View disclosing the presser-bar,the compressing-plungers, and the ejectors carried thereby, the guides for directing the material tated by the handle 15.

into the various molds, the guide-plate, a series of rotatable molds, means for imparting astep rotation to the said molds, and the mechanism for actuating the presser-bar toward and from the molds; and Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail side view illustrating a portion of the endless carrier, the guide-bar, moldsupporting plate, and mold being in section, the presser-bar being in section and in position, said view also disclosing the rotating mechanism for one of the rotatable molds and a section of the discharge-carrier onto which the briquets are delivered from the molds.

The numeral 1 is used to designate any suitable style of frame for the apparatus, within which works over rolls 2 3 the endless carrier 4:. This carrier is driven by the drive-shaft 5, through the medium of a pinion 6 at each end thereof meshing. with the gears 7, which the briquets is fed by workmen preferably 10- cated upon the platform 10. The material thus fed into the hopper 9 falls onto the endless traveling carrier 4 and is conveyed toward the forward end of the machine. VVithin the frame 1 intermediate the rolls 2 3 is located a series of supporting-rolls 11, which rolls support the upper run and prevent undue sagging of the endless carrier 4.

To break up the material fed onto the endless oarrier during travel of the said carrier, there is arranged above the carrier transverse of the machine a rotatable bar 12, from which project a double series of rake-teeth 13 13. The bar 12 is supported between the side guides 14 by means of the pins 14 being ro- One series of raketeeth project upwardly from the bar 12, while the opposing series extend downwardly therefrom. While only a double series of raketeeth is illustrated, it is obvious that three or more may be utilized. The lower series of teeth terminate immediately above the upper surface of the endless carrier, so that the material carried thereby is acted upon by the rake-teeth the entire width of the carrier. Owing to the plastic condition of the material employed for the making of the briquets, the same will to a greater or less extent adhere to the surface of the teeth and gradually clog the same. In such event the bar 12 is given a half or quarter turn, as the case may be, in order to place into action a clean series of rake-teeth, the fouled or clogged series of teeth being thrown upward, so as to permit of cleaning. By thus providing more than one series of rake-teeth there is no necessity to stop the working of the machine in order to clean the fouled or clogged rake-teeth.

As the material is carried past the raketeeth it will be in an irregular layer, which should be leveled or evened off in order that the same amount of material shall be fed into each mold. For such purpose there is arranged transverse of the machine a slight distance beyond the rake-teeth the rotatable bar 15, which is provided with the upwardly and downwardly projecting leveling boards 16 16. These boards are of such depth that the free edges thereof lie a short distance above the surface of the endless carrier when turned downward. The material carried upon the endless carrier is thus forced to pass beneath the downwardly-extending levelingboard. Hence the layer of material carried beyond the said board having been leveled will be of a uniform thickness. The bar 15 rests within guide 17, being turned by means of the handle 17. Like the rake-teeth, as one leveling-board becomes fouled 0r clogged with the plastic material the same is thrown upward and the opposing board turned downward, thus permitting the fouled or clogged board being cleaned without stopping the work of the machine.

It is deemed advisable during the travel of the endless carrier that the material conveyed toward the molds be arranged in distinct piles. To accomplish this, there is located beyond the leveling device a'transverse bar 18, which is rotatably mounted in bearings of the boxes 18. These boxes are vertically slidable within the guideways 20 at each side of the machine, said boxes being raised and lowered at predetermined moments bymeans of the linkarms 20. Said link-arms at their upper ends connect with the slide-boxes 18, each linkarm at its lower end carrying aslide 21, slidable within the guide-ways 22. The slides 21 rest upon the surface of the cams 22, secured to the shaft 5 driven by the gearwheels 23 thereon meshing with the gearwheels 7, the incline 23 of said cams during rotation of the drive-shaft acting to raise the slides 21 and their connecting parts. As the inclines 23 move from beneath the slides 21 the said slides will descend by. gravity due to the weight of the link-arms and the bar 18 and connected parts. The said bar 18 is formed with opposing blades 24 21, either of which when the bar is turned to lower same acts as accumulatingor barrier blades against which the material is piled or banked. These blades when lowered just clear the surface of the endless carrier. Hence material cannot pass thereunder. As a consequence the material banks against the obstructing-face of the lowered blade and is held against movement of the endless carrier until the inclines 23 of the cams 22 act upon the slides 21 of the link-arms to raise the slide-bar 18 a distance suiiicient to enable the banked material to clear the lowered blade or barrier. As thus released the banked or piled material is carried by the movement of the endless carrier beyond the accumulating or barrier blade before the same is again lowered by the downward movement of the bar 18. In case of the lowered accumulating or barrier blade becoming fouled or clogged by the plastic material clinging thereto it is only required to give the bar 18 a part turn in order to lower the uppermost or clean accumulating blade or carrier. The fouled blade is thus raised out of action and placed in position for cleaning without stopping the work of the machine.

At the forward end of the machine is located a vertically-movable transverse presserbar 25, to which is attached a series of depending plungers 25 and a series of expelling plungers or ejectors 25 The expelling plungers or ejectors 25 are arranged a slight distance in advance of the compressing-plungers 25, the reason for this being that as the plungers 25 descend to compress the material within one of the openings 26 of the rotatable molds 26 the expelling plungers or ejectors 25 will move into an opposing opening of the mold to force a formed briquet therefrom onto the inclined apron 26 attached to the frame-plate 27, Fig. 4 of the drawings.

The series of molds 26 are supported by the plate 27, each mold being attached to a short spindle 27, extending through openings 28 in the said plate 27. Each mold contains, preferably, four compressing openings, seats, or chambers 26.

To the lower end of each mold-spindle 27 is attached 'below the supporting-mate 27 a bevel-gear 28, which mesh with a series of bevel-pinions 28, mounted upon the crossshaft 29. This shaft is driven by a step rotation from one of the gears 8 by means of the crank-lever 29, connected thereto at one end and at its opposite end to a link 30, loose upon the end of the shaft 29. Said link carries a pawl 30, which engages with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 31, secured to the said shaft 29, so that with each revolution of the gear 8 a quarter-rotation is imparted to the crossshaft 29, which movement turns the molds, so as to place one of the compressing openings, seats, or chambers directly beneath the compressing-phingers 25 and expelling plungers or ejectors 25 The presser-bar 25 is raised and lowered by means of a pair of connecting-rods 32, located one at each side of the machine. Each rod at its upper end is loosely connected to a reduced projecting end of the said presser-bar, the lower ends being connected by a wristpin to the operating-gears 32. These gears are attached to the ends of the drive-roll 33 for the endless carrier 33 for receiving the formed briquets discharged from the molds, said gears being driven from the gear 7 intermeshing therewith.

The presser-bar 25 is held in position through the medium of the slide-blocks 34, working within the guideways 34:.

By reason of the described connection it is apparent that as the gear-wheels 32' rotate the presser-bar 25 is raised and lowered vertically.

The molds 26 work between the supportingplate 27 and the guide-plate 35, which is arranged transverse of the machine and located directly above the series of rotatable molds. This plate is formed with a series of receiving chambers or'openings 35, there being one for each mold and with which the seats, chambers, or openings of the molds register during the formation of the briquets. Into and through the chambers or openings 35 of the guide-plate work the plungers 25 during the movement of the presser-bar to form the briquets, said plungers forcing the material from within the receiving chambers or openings 35 into the seat, chamber, or opening 26 of the molds registering therewith. By the continued downward movement of the presser-bar the plungers compress the material within the mold seats, chamber, or opening into the requisite briquet. At the same time the expelling plunger'or ejector carried I by the presser-bar enters within the companion seat, chamber, or opening to the one within which the briquet is being formed and expels a formed or compressed briquet therefrom.

During the upward movement of the presser 'bar to withdraw the compressingplungers from within the mold and openings of the guide-plate and the ejectors from within the empty mold-openings the before-described pawl mechanism actuates the shaft 29 and imparts a step rotation thereto, which turns the series of molds 'so. as to take the filled opening, chamber, or seat from registry with the receiving chambers or openings of the guide-plate and place an empty opening below. the same and a filled opening in line to be acted upon by the expelling plungers or ejectors when next lowered.

The material carried forward by the endless carrier to be compressed into briquets is guided into the receiving chambers or openings35 of the guide-plate .by means ofthe curved guiding or distributing ribs or fingers 36, which upwardly extend from the fillingfunnels 36. There is a filling-funnel for each opening or chamber 35 of the guide-plate, said funnels being secured to the upper face of said plate. Said funnels may be said to constitute a continuation of the openings or chambers 35. From each funnel 36 extend two of the curved ribs or fingers 36, which fit snugly over the surface of the endless carrier resting upon the forward roll 3. By means of these guide ribs or fingers 36 the body of material carried by the endless carrier is evenly distributed between the entire series of the filling-funnels, so that approximately the same quantity of material or charge is delivered into each mold in order to insure uniformity as to the briquets.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, and desired to be protected by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an apparatus for the manufacture of briquets, the combination with a suitable frame, of an endless carrier working therein, means for driving same, a leveling device arranged transverse of the carrier carried thereon, a series of briquet-molds at the forward end of the machine, devices for guiding the material into said molds, and pressure-actuated devices for compressing the material within said molds.

2. In an apparatus for. the manufacture of briquets, the combination with a suitable frame, of an endless carrier working therein, means for imparting travel thereto, a rake device arranged above the carrier transverse of the machine, a similarly-arranged leveling device located beyond the rake device, a series of briquet-molds at the forward end of the machine, devices for guiding the material to be compressed into the molds, and pressureactuated devices for compressing the material within the said molds.

3. In an apparatus for the manufacture of briquets, the combination with a suitable frame, of an endless carrier working therein, means for imparting travel thereto, a rake device arranged above the endless carrier, a leveling device for the material carried by the endless carrier located beyond the rake device, a vertically-movable accumulator or barrier for banking the material upon the endless carrier, said accumulator or barrier being located beyond the leveling device, means for raising the accumulator or barrier at prede termined intervals, a series of briquet-molds at the forward end of the machine, devices for guiding the material carried by the endless carrier into the molds, and pressure-actuated means for compressing the material Within the said molds.

4:. In an apparatus for the described pur pose, the combination with a suitable frame, of an endless carrier working therein, a reversible rake device arranged above the endless carrier, said device serving to break up the material conveyed by the endless carrier.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a suitable frame, of an endless carrier working therein, a rake device arranged transverse of the carrier and a leveling device arranged transverse of the carrier and beyond the rake device.

6. In an apparatus for the described purpose, the combination with a suitable frame, of an endless carrier working therein, a reversible leveling device for the material conveyed by the endlesscarrier, said device being arranged above the carrier transverse of the machine. 4

7. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a suitable frame, of an endless carrier working therein, means arranged above the belt for raking and leveling the material carried thereon, and means arranged above the belt beyond said raking and leveling means for intermittently obstructing the movement of the material on said belt. v

8. In an apparatus for the described purpose, the combination with a suitable frame, of an endless carrier working therein, of a vertically-movable accumulator or barrier device arranged above the endless carrier transverse of the machine, and means for raising said accumulator or barrier device at predetermined intervals during the working of the machine.

9. In an apparatus for the manufacture of briquets, the combination with a suitable frame, of an endless carrier working therein, a series of molds arranged at the forward end of the machine, means for raking, leveling and dividing the material conveyed by the endless carrier into piles during its travel toward the molds, devices for guiding the material conveyed by the carrier into the molds, and pressure-actuated means for compressing the material within the molds.

10. In an apparatus for the manufacture of briquets, the combination with a suitable frame, of an endless belt working therein, a mold at one end of said machine, means for dividing the material conveyed by the endless carrier into piles during its travel toward the mold, devices for guiding the material from the carrier into the mold, and means for compressing the material within the mold.

11. In an apparatus for the described purpose, the combination with a suitable frame, of an endless carrier working therein, a series of rotatable briquet-molds, a guide-bar arranged above the molds. said bar being formed with a series of filling-openings with which the receiving-chambers of the molds successively register, a funnel communicating with each filling-opening of the guide-bar, curved ribs or fingers extending from the funnels, said ribs or fingers distributing the material conveyed by the carrier between the respective molds, pressure-actuated means for forcing the material into the molds, and means for imparting a step rotation to the said molds upon the-return movement of the pressureactuated means.

12. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination with a suitable frame, of an endless carrier working therein, a series of briquet-molds, devices for raking, leveling and dividing the material conveyed by said carrier into piles during its travel toward the molds, funnels communicating with each of the molds, curved fingers extending from the funnels and overlying the end of the carrier, said ribs or fingers distributing the material conveyed by the carrier between the respective molds, and means for compressing the material within the'molds.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

JAMES J. CRAWFORD. Witnesses:

N. A. AoKER, WALTER F. VANE. 

